Sanibel fast-tracks a two-phase plan to reopen its Ian damaged fishing pier

SANIBEL, Fla — There’s a new plan to bring the Sanibel Fishing Pier back. Sanibel City Council has approved a two-phase plan aimed at getting people fishing there again as soon as possible.

Fox 4’s Sanibel Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, works on the island every day, and people regularly tell him how important the pier is to the community, so he went out to see what they think about the plan.
Watch to hear about the plan to rebuild the Sanibel Fishing Pier:

Since Hurricane Ian, only pelicans have been able to enjoy the pier… but that’s about to change. At last week’s city council meeting, leaders approved a two-phase plan to bring the fishing pier back.

“It’s a destination for people. Bikers and walkers,” said Richard Birney

Richard Birney is chair of the ‘Citizens Pier Committee’ that helped push the project forward. He said he spent months talking with dozens of people across the island - listening to why bringing the pier back matters - and then took that message to city leaders.

“I talked to people in wheelchairs. It’s the only place they can come to fish,” Birney said.

Birney said he then worked with engineers to break the rebuild into two phases, specifically to move faster. Phase one focuses on everything that doesn’t touch the sand or water, meaning it only needs city permits. That includes rebuilding the deck, the ramp, railings, and benches to get the pier usable again.

“And then once we get Army Corps approval we can go into the ground in the water to reinforce the piling that was damaged by the hurricane,” Birney said.

People at Lighthouse Beach Park said this is the kind of update they’ve been waiting to hear.

“It’s just part of Sanibel. It’s like the lighthouse. You gotta have what draws people, and the pier meant that to me,” said George Kesler.

“People keep rebuilding, and they don’t give up. And I think that pier is part of it. I think people feel the same way about it as they do about the lighthouse and other historical areas,” said Eric Samuelson.

After a major hurricane, Sanibel spokesperson Eric Jackson says core infrastructure always comes first, which is why a project like this wasn’t immediate.

“So, thankfully community members have come forward to form a partnership with the city to help raise funding to get this fishing pier back in order so people can enjoy it,” Jackson said.

Jackson says the goal is to raise about $600,000 through donations to pay for the rebuild, and he expects phase one to get underway later this year.

“It’s another sign we’re moving forward, not just from the storms, but moving toward a more resilient future — and that’s really what it’s all about,” Jackson said.